Museum Maps Ballet's Backstage Action

Ballet finally gets its turn at a new exhibit at the Chapel Hill Museum that offers a glimpse of a community-run ballet troupe's behind-the-scenes living.

"Beyond The Barre: An Exhibit of the Triangle Youth Ballet" will open Thursday at the museum. The exhibit will focus on the hard work of local dancers, set designers, sculptors and seamstresses who have contributed to the nonprofit, community-run ballet's performances of "The Nutcracker."

"If a show is successful, you don't notice all of the bits and pieces that go into making it a good show," said Lauren Lorentz de Haas, founder and artistic director of the Triangle Youth Ballet. "By taking a lot of things out of context, I hope that people get a sense of the amount of work and appreciate the amount of hours that goes into this."

Costumes, props, posters and set design illustrations from the seven-year history of the ballet's performances will be featured in the exhibit.

One exhibition case, called "Head to Toe," will feature bits and pieces of various costumes from the ballet and illustrate how they come together to form a complete costume during the show.

"Beyond The Barre" will specifically highlight the work of local photographer Cartharine Carter, who has followed the Triangle Youth Ballet for more than four years.

A former student of ballet dancing and UNC alumna, Carter said her experience photographing the Triangle Youth Ballet so extensively both on-stage and off has given her a chance to experiment with many different themes and images.

"To me, the most interesting part of dancing is the preparation that goes into the performance," Carter said. "It's all about practice, stretching and what goes on backstage. Those sorts of shots interest me more than posed shots," she said.

Carter's work in documenting the backstage action during the ballet's October though December rehearsals has earned her national recognition in the photography industry. In January, one of her candid photographs of the Triangle Youth Ballet was chosen as the cover for Professional Photographer of America magazine.

Carter, who studied ballet in high school and at UNC, said the Triangle Youth Ballet offers an outlet for high school-aged ballet students interested in professional dancing -- something that didn't exist when she was a dancer.

"We didn't have anything like that when I was dancing," Carter said. "It's a great chance to be a part of a real theater experience instead of just doing recitals. It's a professional experience of auditioning and rehearsals beyond the regular practice schedule."

Morgan Kenney, director of the Chapel Hill Museum, said he hopes the professionalism of the ballet's performances and the arts community will shine through when people see the amount of work involved in creating "The Nutcracker."

"I think (the exhibit) will be illuminating in regard to the number of people and the amount of man hours involved in creating a show like this," Kenney said.

"A performance like this directly touches at least 200 people in the community. This exhibit allows us to give recognition to these people who make the community a better place to live."

An opening reception will be held Thursday at the museum. "Meet The Dancers," a special opening event for children specifically interested in ballet, will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call the Chapel Hill Museum at 967-1400.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk.unc.edu.